LEGAL NEWSLINE

NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced an agreement on Wednesday with Barnes & Noble Inc. to protect the rights of nursing mothers seeking to breastfeed at its New York stores.

On March 16, a woman was allegedly asked to cover up or leave a Barnes & Noble store in Nanuet while breastfeeding her infant son. New York state law permits a mother to breastfeed her baby in any location, as long as she has the right to be there, regardless of whether she is covered while nursing. The law was passed 20 years ago.

"All New York residents, including breastfeeding mothers, must be afforded equal protection under the law," Schneiderman said. "No mother should endure harassment for breastfeeding her baby in public. There is one set of rules for everyone in New York, and I applaud Barnes & Noble for taking steps to ensure that moms are not harassed or discriminated against."

Under the terms of the agreement, Barnes & Noble will strengthen its consumer complaint resolution procedures related to breastfeeding mothers, train all New York employees and managers on its breastfeeding policy and display the international symbol for breastfeeding at the entrances to its New York stores.

Barnes & Noble, which operates 42 stores in the state of New York, will also pay $10,000 to Rockland County to support the activities of its Breastfeeding Promotion and Support Program.